Two by Two
by AnimeCountDown
Summary: They had all come in pairs. Except now...there were seven of them. Oneshot. A surprise gift for kindofabadger.


Realistically, it was expected he might get a little jealous. Kyoya Otori wasn't prone to such petty and pointless emotions, but he was still human. He'd grown up in the shadow of two perfect older brothers, and struggled with an inferiority complex from that alone all his life. Being able to escape, however briefly, from the expectations of his father and the stresses of home life had been a great relief to him once the Host Club had begun, though he'd be the last to admit he appreciated such a reprieve. His days as a host were still brimming with numbers and calculations and sales and the like, so it wasn't a break per se, but it was something different and new. And occasionally, the day-to-day activities might bring a smile to his face, and he was able to breathe out a sigh of peace.

He liked Haruhi. She was a unique girl in her own right, and he didn't have any trouble with her personally. Her presence in the group had offered each of the hosts a bit of personal insight, Kyoya imagined, and he...was grateful for the positive influence she'd proved to be. Never would he wish her any will ill or harm. And never would he ever tell her how jealous of her he'd become.

Before the strange commoner girl had come wandering into Music Room #3, breaking vases and capturing hearts, there had been six of them. It had been the twins, Mori and Honey, and Tamaki and Kyoya. Everything had lined up that way. It was even, it was symmetrical, it was easy to work with. When people came in pairs like that, everything made more sense because everyone had their specific designated place. Kaoru and Hikaru, obviously, belonged to each other in every physical and emotional way possible, in the same way that Takashi and Mitsukuni were so devoted to one another. That left Tamaki and Kyoya. The president and vice-president of the Ouran High School Host Club. The "daddy" and "mommy" as Tamaki liked to put it. They were best friends, and the only two left, so that meant, by way of elimination, they were also a pair.

Until Tamaki met Haruhi Fujioka. Then...well, things didn't quite make as much sense anymore.

First, she was the outsider. She was new. She was different. She was the errand boy. She was a girl. But then she became a host, and a fairly decent one at that, despite the circumstances. She became their friend. She became a valued part of the group. And in more ways than one, even if no one else saw it, she became their mother figure. Kyoya was their secretary. He handled the finances. But Haruhi? She was mother to Tamaki's father.

So that left Kyoya out, didn't it? Where once before, he'd had a place, had a name, had a purpose, he was discarded and made the odd man out. He knew, logically, it had happened gradually and over time, and to nobody's else's knowledge. So he kept quiet and said nothing, because it wouldn't get him anywhere, and he wasn't sure why it bothered him anyway.

Why it bothered him when Tamaki and Haruhi shared a smile. When he put his arms around her and squeezed her close. When they looked at each other and a moment passed between them that screamed of more than friendship. Kyoya wasn't jealous of all of that. It just made his gut twist and his cheeks flush and his fingers tremble every so often. He would shake it off, tell himself he was being silly, and continue on with his business as though he hadn't noticed a thing.

Today was one of those days. Their clients had gone home not too long ago, and the Host Club was lounging about and taking advantage of the extra time they didn't always get to spend together. Kaoru and Hikaru were teasing Haruhi about some costume or another they wanted to get her to wear, whilst Tamaki screamed at them, torn between his own desire to see her in it and his need to protect Haruhi as though she were his own. Mori and Honey looked on quietly, the latter helping himself to cake, his cousin blank-faced as ever. Kyoya kept to himself a reasonable distance away, going through their expenses and sales for the week. His eyes kept crossing over to the others, though. He had to recalculate his numbers three times over, because he kept getting distracted. He just couldn't get them out of his head today.

"I don't imagine it'd be too much trouble to ask you all to be a little quieter," he muttered, but to no avail. They weren't paying attention to him. Tamaki had said something stupid again, and they were all laughing as Haruhi let him have it. Sighing, he began to gather his things instead.

It wasn't until he was shouldering his bag and pushing away from the table that Mori looked up and met his gaze. As always, the quiet, brooding man said nothing, but the attention he gave him attracted Honey's, too. The tiny boy blinked up at him.

"Where are you going, Kyo-chan?" he inquired loudly, noisily enough to get everyone else's attention. Kyoya pushed his glasses higher up on his nose.

"I'm not feeling well," he explained briefly. "I have a lot of work left to do, so I thought I'd go home to finish."

"Are you getting sick, senpai?" Haruhi asked, tilting her head in concern. Kyoya smiled convincingly.

"I'm sure some rest is all I need," he dismissed, shaking his head. "I'll be good as new in the morning."

"Are you sure, Kyoya?" Tamaki asked, and in all honesty, a look of genuine worry was in his eyes. But everything Tamaki felt was exaggerated too extremely, so Kyoya knew this situation was of no true importance to his best friend.

"Positive," he said, and then removed himself from the room.

The walk out of the Academy was long and quiet, and so was the ride all the way home, and it was quiet inside once he got to his room. The rest of the family seemed to be out today, his father and brothers at work no doubt, and his mother and sister out on errands he supposed. So he made himself some tea and shut himself in his room to do his work.

And yet, regardless of how hard he tried, Kyoya could not concentrate at all on any of the words or numbers in front of him. At first, he thought it was just the Host Club finances he couldn't focus on, but when he moved to his homework and the work his father had given him to finish...it was impossible. Every time his pencil started moving across his paper, his mind began to wander and the next thing he knew, he was thinking about Haruhi and the club.

Sighing, Kyoya finally set his pencil down and fell limp over the back of his chair. He stared up at the ceiling blankly, not even having the strength to muster a glare anymore. He was tired of feeling this jealousy in the pit of his stomach. It was exhausting, pointless, and irritating. Who needed emotions like envy when he could be spending his energy on actual work? This wasn't the kind of thing his father would be wanting him to spend his time on.

It was getting ridiculous.

* * *

"I sure hope Kyo-chan is okay," Honey murmured between bites of his cake. Haruhi glanced between the guys, watching their reactions. The twins, as always, were the most nonchalant about it.

"He'll be fine," they said in unison, shrugging at the same time without much interest. "Kyoya-senpai can take care of himself."

"How can you be so callous to another club member like that?" Tamaki scolded, putting his fists on his hips indignantly and scowling at the two younger boys. "What if Kyoya gets really sick because we weren't there to take care of him?"

"Don't tell me you're thinking about making this another one of your stupid missions," Haruhi muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at Tamaki. He shuddered, cringing away from the critical look she was giving him. "I'm sure Kyoya-senpai will be just fine without your help. If he doesn't feel well, he probably has the best doctors money can buy at his beck and call. You showing up would probably only make matters worse."

"But _Haruhi_," Tamaki whined, slumping and giving her a full-powered puppy-eyes look. She pinched her lips together and raised one eyebrow as the twins snickered.

"Man, she told you, boss," Kaoru snickered, twisting his head to hide his mouth behind Hikaru's shoulder.

"Like she always does," Hikaru added, bowing his head and grinning devilishly. Haruhi cast them a sour look as well.

"Well, it wouldn't kill the two of you to care a little more, either," she snapped, but they hardly even flinched. Instead, Tamaki was capturing her attention again with his new wave of worries and complaints. She sighed and turned her ears to him with slouched shoulders.

"For all we know, he could be on his death bed right now!" he was exclaiming, walking in circles furiously, like he usually did when he was frustrated. "All alone and wondering where all his friends and family are! We're here, laughing and having a good old time, while poor Kyoya is saying goodbye to this world with the very last of his strength!"

"I think you're being a little overdramatic," Haruhi sighed, but Tamaki wouldn't hear any of it.

"And to think!" he shouted, throwing his arms in the air and gesturing with them wildly. "That Kyoya thought he could count on us, his good friends, his club mates, his _family_. He'll go to the light, cold and sad and alone!"

"He's not going to stop, is he?" Haruhi groaned, and the rest of the club members all shook their heads with differing levels of enthusiasm. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself and gave in-like she always did. "What are you even planning on doing, senpai?"

"Well since you asked!" Tamaki chuckled cheerfully, brightening up like he completely saw it coming. Haruhi deflated. Oh boy. This was going to be a long evening.

* * *

It wasn't until much later that night Kyoya realized he'd fallen asleep. The knocking on his door roused him from his slumber, forcing him to crack his eyes open and lift his head slowly from his desk. Resisting the urge to groan, he put a hand to one side of his head and pressed, trying to push back his sudden headache. Sleeping on such a hard surface didn't sit well with him, it seemed. And not with his back either... Another knock came to the door, making him blink and look up.

"Kyoya?" his mother called. "Are you alright, sweetie? We're about to eat dinner."

"I'll be out in just a minute," he answered, both satisfied and a little disappointed to hear the click of her heels retreat so quickly.

Kyoya shook himself off, and turned to the papers on his desk. He fixed the ones that had become askew in his sleep, and set everything aside for the time being. Then he got up to make sure he looked presentable, brushing his hair into place and changing into some more comfortable clothing. He hadn't changed out of his uniform earlier, and so he opted for a sweater and loose straight pants, and discarded his wrinkled outfit from school in the laundry basket. The maid would take care of it tomorrow.

When he deemed himself suitable, Kyoya ventured outside and found his family gathered in the dining room, though not yet sitting. His father was discussing something with his oldest brother, while his mother doted over his other siblings affectionately. At least they noticed when he walked into the room.

"Oh, Kyoya," his sister greeted with a kind smile. "We were starting to worry you'd locked yourself away in your room."

"Weren't taking a nap, were you?" one brother teased. He returned the jest with a calm, smooth smile.

"Just finishing my work," he replied. "I must not have heard you get home."

"You may need to start being more attentive, Kyoya," his father commented, and then gestured to the table. "Let's go on and eat. I have work to do myself after we've finished."

Everyone agreed enthusiastically and followed the head of the family to the dining table. Kyoya breathed out, watching as they hurried away to their seats, and knowing he needed to soon follow.

"Of course, father," he murmured to himself.

* * *

"Woah..." Haruhi breathed, staring up at the giant of a house. Mansion was more like it. She'd known in the back of her head that this was the way her classmates lived, but being this close up and actually seeing such luxury with her own eyes...

The Academy was one thing. But this _house_ was for _one family_?

It didn't even look like a normal house! It's architecture was completely unique to what Haruhi was used to-basic Japanese-style apartments and the like. Everything about this building was sleek, modern, and very western. From the front, it look like a huge circle of tall, beautiful windows. It was entirely magnificent. And terrifying.

She swallowed down her nerves and followed Tamaki, who was singing for her to hurry up, twirling with the pot of soup in his hands. He'd insisted they all go to the market and pick out all the ingredients so Haruhi could make Kyoya a soup to help him get better. She still thought this was just another really stupid idea, but Tamaki looked his happiest when he thought he was helping someone, even if he was really just making a fool of himself. Of course _he_ wouldn't have any qualms about the absurd size of the Ootori house. His was probably even more ridiculous.

"Don't you think we'll be interrupting their dinner?" Haruhi mentioned _again_. But it was like Tamaki didn't even hear her as he danced up the steps and knocked on the door loudly. She groaned and planted her forehead in her palm. The twins, Mori, and Honey had all gone to their own homes for dinner, so why would Kyoya be any different?

"Oh, _Kyoya_!" Tamaki called loudly, moving from ringing the doorbell to knocking vigorously repeatedly. Haruhi grimaced, only able to bear the behavior for a few seconds before she gave in.

"Tamaki-senpai, knock it off!" she growled, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him away from the doors. He fell into a series of whimpers, crying pitifully and begging her to stop even as she chastised him for being such a moron. "Ringing the doorbell once is enough! You don't have to go pressing it a million times; I'm sure they can hear it just fine in there!"

"But _Haruhi_!" he wailed. "We have to deliver Kyouya's soup for him! I was only ringing-"

"Master Suou." Both Host Club members froze and lifted their faces to look at the man standing in the doorway. Tamaki brightened a little, obviously recognizing who seemed to be one of the Ootori servants. "A pleasure. Is the young master expecting you?"

"We felt awful that he left school feeling so bad," Tamaki explained, scuttling up the porch and thrusting the pot out as proof. "So we brought Kyoya soup! That way, he'll get better!"

"I wasn't aware Kyoya was unwell," the servant said, seeming genuinely surprised, but uninterested in Tamaki's sympathies. Haruhi figured the Otori household had to be pretty used to him acting like an idiot, considered he and Kyoya were best friends. She kept her thoughts to herself, though, as they were led inside. "Give me just a moment to let him know you are here."

* * *

They were perhaps halfway through their meal, and nothing wrong had occured, when Ayumi knocked politely on the door. The family immediately raised their heads in unison, curious as to what could cause the intrusion. Was it more business that couldn't wait until later? Had someone in the family fallen ill? Did another natural disaster occur?

"Kyoya, sir, Master Suou is here to see you," he informed them all. Kyoya's insides froze over. "He expressed concern over your wellbeing."

"Kyoya?" his father said lowly in that warning voice of his.

"Dear, are you sure you're alright?" his mother asked, sounding so worried, Kyoya wanted to punch something.

"Everything is fine," Kyoya assured them, bowing his head deeply in apology. "I'm very sorry for Tamaki's behavior. I left earlier than the others at school today so I could concentrate on my work. I should have known he would over exaggerate the circumstances like this. Please excuse me while I set this straight."

"Well, give Tamaki our regards," Yoshio said, gesturing with a hand. Ever since the fair, he'd been a little more forgiving of these matters, especially any that involved the host club. "He's welcome to stay for dinner if he'd like. I'm sure fixing another place would be no trouble at all."

"Master Suou is being accompanied by a young girl as well," Ayumi added. Kyoya felt the corner of his left eye twitch. "Should I have a place made for her as well?"

"Ah, the Fujioka girl!" Yoshio exclaimed, sounded abruptly interested in the events. "Yes, let's set a place for them both."

"That shouldn't be necessary," Kyoya disagreed calmly, trying not to shun the idea too forcefully. Even so, his father gave him a suspicious look, almost sour at his lack of enthusiasm at the idea of inviting Haruhi for dinner. "I'm sure they have their own family dinners to attend to."

"Nonsense!" Yoshio insisted, shaking his head. "At least invite them. They're free to decline, of course, but don't be rude to our guests, Kyoya."

"Of course, sir," Kyoya complied, smiling politely and removing himself from the room as Ayumi hurried off to the kitchen. There they were, waiting in the foyer.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki greeted with a crazy grin. He beamed at him goofily, holding up a large pot proudly. "Here! We brought you homemade soup so you'll feel better sooner! We were so worried about you!"

"Not to be rude or anything," Haruhi muttered behind Tamaki, looking, as usual, unimpressed with everything going on around her. This time, she was staring knowingly at Kyoya. "But you don't _look_ very sick."

"That's because I'm not," Kyoya answered, turning on Tamaki. Then again, as irritated as he was, he could hardly be angry at that stupid puppy-dog face. "I told you I was fine. Why do you always have to turn small things into such large ordeals?"

"We were just worried about you..." Tamaki said, lowering the pot of soup and looking at him with a mixture of embarrassment and sadness. Kyoya sighed and rubbed his temple wearily.

"Well, now that you're here, you might as well stay," he suggested, catching both of their attentions. "My father would like you both to stay for dinner, if you'd like. Afterward, I can show you the house if you still have time, Haruhi."

"Oh, um... I don't know," she answered, touching the back of her hair uncertainly and tilting her head at him. "I didn't even get a chance to let my dad know where I was going because _Tamaki-senpai_ was in such a hurry to get over here."

"We have a phone you can use if you need to call him," Kyoya offered, ignoring the way Tamaki swiveled his head frantially as the two conversed. "You're free to use it."

"Well, uh..." Haruhi hesitated, twisting her lips to the side in deep thought. Kyoya couldn't tell if she was torn between actually wanting to stay or simply being polite or what. There were moments when Haruhi was as easy to read as a book, and other times, it was like trying to decipher hieroglyphics with her. "I guess that'd be okay..."

"Then I'm staying too!" Tamaki announced, which put another scowl on Haruhi's face. "I won't leave my little girl in such a strange place all night!"

"I can take care of myself, senpai," Haruhi snapped, rolling her eyes when Tamaki's face fell at her reaction. Kyoya sighed.

"You were already invited, idiot," he said, then turned and gestured in the direction of the dining room. "Please, come. I'm sure your places have already been made. The phone is in the room over, Haruhi."

"Oh, thanks," she answered, and followed his lead, Tamaki close behind and looking like a kicked puppy. "Your house is really amazing, Kyoya-senpai. I've never seen anything so incredible, except maybe at the Academy."

"Why thank you," Kyoya replied politely, giving her a kind, close-eyed smile and directing her to a sitting room. "You'll find the phone on the desk in the corner. We'll leave you so you can talk to your father in privacy. When you're done, just come back into this hallway, take a right, and keep going until it opens up to the dining room."

"Alright," Haruhi said, nodding and walking toward the phone. Before Tamaki could protest, Kyoya grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey!" he shouted in alarm, rubbing his neck with a twist of his lips. He gave Kyoya a poutish look. "What was that for, Kyoya?"

"Did you really have to come here and make a big deal about this?" Kyoya sighed, shaking his head and putting his fingers to his temple. "Do you ever thing about how your actions are going to affect others?"

"I didn't mean to bother you, Kyoya..." Tamaki said slowly, that light in his eyes dimming to a sober melancholy that, while not typical of the dumby, was familiar to Kyoya nonetheless. He'd seen it enough times to know exactly what it was. A look of rejection. "I was really only worried about you because you said you weren't feeling well."

"It's alright," Kyoya consented, smiling briefly. "I'm not angry. Just...consider it next time."

"Of course!" he exclaimed, beaming once again and nudging Kyoya eagerly. "Let's go eat! But we can't until my darling Haruhi is all finished! What if she gets lost?"

"I'm sure she'll be just fine," Kyoya muttered, shoving Tamaki down the hall and forcing him closer and closer to the dining hall.

Inside, of course, his father was more than happy to see Tamaki, who straigthened out as soon as he was in sight of the others. As ridiculous as he was, Tamaki knew he couldn't act out in front of people as prestiguous as his own father or Kyoya's. It was all formality and polite bows and everything that made Tamaki the most charming boy in all of Japan.

"We're so sorry to drop in unannounced," Tamaki apologized, nodding his head. "Thank you very much for setting a place at your table for us."

"Of course," Yoshio insisted, standing to gesture to Tamaki's seat.

"Oh, we... um..." Tamaki smiled bashfully and held up the pot still in his hands. "We thought Kyouya wasn't feeling well when he left earlier and went a little over board. We brought him this soup, which you're all welcome to have, if you'd like."

"How thoughtful!" Kyoya's mother gushed. She, like many of the girls at their school, had always held a weak spot for Tamaki Suou.

"We appreciate your generosity," Yoshio said. "Ayumi! Put Master Suo's gift in the kitchen to be saved. We'll dine on it another night. Perhaps tomorrow!"

"Yes, sir," Ayumi agreed, bowing and then promptly taking the soup from the room. At that moment, Haruhi walked into the room.

"Ah, Ms. Fujioka," Yoshio greeted with a rare smile. "It is a pleasure to have you."

"Thank you very much," she replied. "It's an honor."

Kyoya was impressed. The last words she'd said to his father hadn't been the most demure. While Kyoya knew his father was fond of Haruhi, she probably thought he hated her. He had to admit... She was one of the bravest people he knew.

"Please, let's sit," he replied, and they all took their seats obediently. As they did, Kyoya managed to keep an eye on Haruhi the entire time.

As a matter of fact, he watched her all throughout dinner. As the courses were brought and conversation established, Kyoya kept as quiet as politeness would allow and made a note of how Haruhi handled every situation presented to her. Tamaki's antics had subsided for Kyoya's sake no doubt, but there was still the matter of an entire family of wealthy, arrogant people Haruhi had never had to deal with before. Yet, she never flinched or hesitated, not once. Whenever a question was asked of her, she'd answer it immediately and confidently. If someone said something she disagreed with, she would passively disagree and intelligently explain her reasoning behind her opinion. Every step of the way, she flourished and impressed. Kyoya could see it in his father's eyes by the time dinner was ending.

"You're a very smart girl, Ms. Fujioka," Kyoya's father commented as their dinner plates were being removed and taken away. He laced his fingers together and leaned over the table contemplatively. It was the signature stance for any conniving CEO. "You're still very young, but have you given any thought to marriage when you're older?"

That, Kyoya could see, surprised Haruhi. She paused, hand on her glass, blinking rapidly at Yoshio. Perhaps she was trying to figure out why she'd been asked such an odd question, or maybe she'd already pieced it together and was shocked she'd been so blatantly approached with it. Tamaki, on the other hand, had no such calm response.

"Marriage?" he repeated, laughing uncomfortably and scratching the back of his neck. Kyoya could tell he was trying very much not to explode. "It is rather early to be thinking of anything like that, right? What an odd question, Mr. Otori."

"Not too odd," Yoshio said, waving a hand in the air. "Haruhi may still be in high school, but marriage isn't too far off from graduation. Kyoya's mother and I got married just a few weeks after she graduated, didn't we?"

"We did," she answered, smiling sweetly and then encouragingly at Haruhi. "It seems like a scary thought when you're so young, but it's really not such a bad thing."

Haruhi stared at her, and in doing so, she finally seemed to find her words.

"No offense, but I just don't think that kind of thing is for me," she answered, tilting her head as she processed her words carefully before letting them come out. "I have a lot of goals I want to achieve after I graduate from just high school, and a really serious relationship would probably distract me from accomplishing those things. Before I think about something as permanent and life-changing as marriage, I'd like to finish a lot of things first, like university and law school. Then, maybe I'd give it consideration. To be honest, marriage might not be for me in the long run anyway. I've never thought about it much."

"You've never dreamed about your wedding?" Fuyumi asked, eyes wide in disbelief. Kyoya's sister was a smart girl, but occasionally too frivolous for her own good. "Every girl dreams about her perfect wedding!"

"Well, I don't even know if I want to get married," Haruhi laughed, shrugging. "So I guess it's just never crossed my mind before."

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that," Kyouya chimed in, smiling pleasantly for Haruhi's sake. "It'll be a relief to your husband-to-be, at least. I'm sure no one wants someone too high maintenance, after all."

"Indeed," Kyoya's father said, smirking. As though he could win regardless of whatever challenge was presented to him. "I think that would make a very ideal wife for any man."

"Well, I wasn't saying that or anything," Haruhi denied, waving her hands in front of her. "I want to focus a lot on being a lawyer, so I wouldn't make a good housewife or anything. That would probably be a huge inconvenience, I'm sure."

"You can always hire a maid to take care of trivial housework," Yoshio pointed out with a wave of his hand. Haruhi tilted her head.

"Um..." She laughed nervously, trying to remain diplomatic, but Kyoya knew it was exactly this kind of "rich people" attitude that wore on her. "I don't think everyone can afford a private maid."

"The Otori family has many," Yoshio said with another charming smile. Kyoya caught Haruhi's eyebrow twitch despite her friendly smile.

"So I noticed," she muttered through clenched teeth; thankfully, no one else at the table seemed to notice. It was then Kyoya remembered Tamaki was still there, but he was hardly contributing anymore. Usually, he was adamantly involved in any situation concerning Haruhi, but now, he was silent, eyes passing back and forth between one person and the next, listening without saying a word himself. That was strange...

"Why don't you let Kyoya show you around the rest of the house?" Yoshio suggested, standing from his seat and signaling the meal had officially ended, and that they were allowed to depart. "You are welcome to stay as long as you'd like, Ms. Fujioka. You as well, of course, Tamaki.

"Thank you," Haruhi said, standing and bowing her head in acknowledgment. "Dinner was delicious."

"Yes, thank you," Tamaki agreed, but there was something sad about his smile.

* * *

"It's really an amazing house," Haruhi said as Kyoya led them to his room. Once he opened the door, however, and ushered them inside, Haruhi nearly exploded. "This isn't a bedroom! It's like a mini house!"

Indeed, it was the most excessively large bedroom she'd ever seen. When she'd first looked at the outside of the house, she'd wondered how on earth one would need so many rooms to fill that much space, but now she saw that it was extra space filling the rooms! Everything from the foyer to the dining room to this bedroom was too big for her to handle. There was even a second floor and a balcony in here! She stepped inside, gazing in awe at the enormous ceiling-to-floor windows, the long dresser, the wide sitting area... Haruhi sighed heavily. She couldn't handle this kind of life.

"It is rather excessive," Kyoya admitted, closing the door behind Tamaki, who had remained strangely quiet ever since dinner. It wasn't quite like when he pouted over silly stuff, but he looked genuinely concerned about something this time. Maybe she'd ask him about it later. "We are the Otori family, of course. You didn't forget what school you go to?"

"Of course I didn't forget," Haruhi scoffed, crossing her arms. A sudden pinging noise caught her attention, and she glanced across the room at the large glass windows. "It's raining...?"

"Yes, I remember it saying something about that on the news," Kyoya said, looking at the water-streaked panels before turning his attention back to Haruhi with that blank, calculating look. "Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Do you remember how bad it's supposed to get?" she inquired nervously. That seemed to capture Tamaki's attention, but he was still hesitant to say anything. "Maybe it'd be best if we went ahead and left...?"

A sharp crack of thunder interrupted her mid-thought, and next thing she knew, she was cringing and crying out like a little girl, entire body tensing up as if she'd actually been electrocuted. That snapped Tamaki out of it. Just like that, he was beside her, an hand on her back between her shoulder blades. She wanted to tell him to knock it off, that she was fine. But another boom of thunder went right up her spine, paralyzing her. Why did it have to be so loud?

They were talking about something, probably her, but she ignored it because she couldn't really hear it. She moved to cover her ears, but blinked in surprise when she realized Tamaki's were already there. Warm and clasped firmly over both her ears. Haruhi opened her eyes wide and looked at Tamaki in surprise. Neither him or Kyoya was paying attention to her anymore; they were discussing something, and from the looks of it, their King was rather frustrated.

He was pretty good at that, wasn't he? He was a nuisance a lot of the time, and she had to say he could be really annoying, but... There were the little things he did that made her happy, even if she never admitted it out loud. She remembered the first time he'd helped her get through a storm. That had meant a lot to her, even though she'd pretended like it hadn't happened...

Haruhi lowered her gaze to the floor, both embarrassed and ashamed. Embarrassed because of all things, it was a silly storm that made her the most vulnerable. And ashamed because she couldn't even bring herself to tell someone how she felt about them. She couldn't even tell herself.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki said, loudly and close to her ear so she could hear him despite his hands. She looked up at him to show she was listening. That cheeky smile of his was back. "Kyoya's getting some headphones for you. It'll be okay."

She lowered her gaze again. Of course it'd be okay. It was just a storm. But...

* * *

"She should be fine until the storm passes," Tamaki said, smiling fondly at Haruhi. She was resting on Kyoya's couch, already lulled to sleep by the gentle music Kyoya had provided to block out the storm. "You're sure it's okay with your dad if we stay here for the night?"

"It's fine," Kyoya assured him, nodding. "Apparently, it's quite the storm, and won't be going anywhere until early tomorrow morning. I already called Haruhi's dad to let him know what happened. It wouldn't be safe for you to go driving in this weather anyway. And my father is quite taken with both of you."

"Yes..." Tamaki said quietly, glancing away. "I noticed that."

"Hm?" It was a polite way of giving Tamaki the chance to drop the subject before it went too far. Just pretend like he didn't hear him, and they could switch to a different subject. But Tamaki was never like that; he looked right at him.

"Kyoya, why did your father keep asking Haruhi about marriage like that?" he asked. Kyoya sighed. He acted like a kid sometimes, but when it came to the important stuff...Tamaki was no fool. "Does he like Haruhi because...he wants you to...? Does he think the two of you...?"

"He's mentioned the idea to me," Kyoya admitted, turning away from his best friend. He didn't know why it was so hard to look at him right now. He heard Tamaki bristle, but Kyoya calmly continued, "I guess he was impressed with the way she stood up to him at the fair."

"Kyoya-"

"I already told him I would never propose," he interrupted, not raising his voice or losing his temper. He merely let it out, and it cut right into whatever Tamaki had been about to say. There was an awkward moment.

"But...why?" he asked quietly, in that innocent manner of his. "Do you not...like her?"

"I think she's a very fascinating young lady," Kyoya consented, looking at Haruhi out of the corner of his eye. Indeed, she had made him feel and think in a way only one other person had managed to do... "It is not, necessarily, that she is not the one for me. However...I do not believe I am the one for her."

Tamaki didn't say anything about that. The silence settled, and the rain pelted the windows, and the thunder shook the sky. Kyoya couldn't help but roll his eyes. The only way to get anything through to this idiot was to tell him straight out. He braced himself and turned around to face his best friend.

"You should ask her yourself before someone else does," Kyoya suggested, and was glad, at least, that Tamaki turned a rather vibrant shade of pink. "If you're not careful, my father will try to sell her off to one of my brothers instead. You only have so much time, idiot."

"I don't know about that..." Tamaki said. He chose moments like this to get all shy on him. But there was no denying that look of complete adoration when he turned to look at Haruhi. Kyoya could see it in everything from his eyes to the way he leaned towards her unknowingly. "We're still so young, and...Haruhi's my little girl... You know? It's not like that between us... She has law school. You heard her."

"Yes, and I've also seen her," Kyoya sighed, leaning back against the window behind him. "I've seen her with you, and how she doesn't treat any of the rest of us like that. You're both extraordinarily special people, Tamaki. Special people like the two of you are meant to find each other, I think."

"Do you really mean that, Kyoya?" Tamaki asked, cheeks still pink, but a look of hopefullness making his eyes shine brighter than normal.

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true," he said, and was genuinely surprised. Tamaki didn't burst into tears or rush over to embrace him like Kyoya kind of expected him too. He tilted his head, smiled much too softly, and hammered down the last nail.

"Thanks, Kyoya."

* * *

"It wasn't a problem, really," Kyoya insisted, smiling pleasantly as he saw Haruhi and Tamaki out. They stood on the porch, the sky bright and blue above them. Tamaki looked particularly chipper today, but Haruhi wasn't quite so convinced. "Let's just be grateful it's the weekend."

"Well, yeah, that part's pretty convenient," she admitted, and then shrugged it off. Oh well. What happened was over and done with. Embarrassed as she was for passing out on Kyoya's couch and leaving it to everyone else to take care of her, she supposed she should be grateful. "It was really nice of your father. Tell him thank you for us?"

"Of course," Kyoya assured her. He seemed weirdly happy too. For Kyoya, at least. "He was more than happy to have you, though. We didn't want you stuck in that storm."

"Thanks..." Haruhi said, deflating at the reminder. Sometimes she thought Kyoya said things like that on purpose. "Well, I guess we should get going before my dad worries too much."

"Why would he worry when you have me around to protect you?" Tamaki chimed brightly. Haruhi deadpanned.

"That probably makes him worry even more," she muttered, temporarily crushing Tamaki's heart once again. Kyoya smiled fondly as they departed, waving back and watching as they bickered all the way to Tamaki's family car.

He'd meant what he'd said to Tamaki the night before. Haruhi was a lovely, interesting specimen, and he was sure he wouldn't _mind_ being married to such a woman when they were older. There had been some moments in particular when the thought had crossed his mind all on its own, when he'd had the urge to kiss her himself. But Kyoya knew, as he knew many things, that he could never do that.

Still smiling to himself, Kyoya turned and walked back into his too-big, too-luxurious, too-everything home. He went back into his bedroom, shut the door behind, and got back to work. This was what he was good at. And for now, he'd stick to it.

He'd think about the other half to his own pair in a couple years.

* * *

**Hello! Like I've said in previous author notes, I'm trying to fill my free time with some side-work until I can get back to some of my other stories (not possible until I get Microsoft Word on my laptop). Anyway, I was introduced to this series (I've only watched the anime) late last semester and immediately fell in love. How could I not? I have quite a few ideas, just having some trouble really nailing them down. **

**This was actually an impromptu fanfiction, and is especially for kindofabadger, who asked for a "Kyoya" fic when I mentioned doing an Ouran High School Host Club oneshot. I'm not sure if this is what was in mind, but it kind of just came out this way. I can try again if you'd like. This is my surprise way of thanking you for being such an awesome reader. ^-^ **

**I'm not necessarily _against_ Kyoya/Haruhi, but I am _very_ biased toward Tamaki. I read what might have been a spoiler on the internet... I hope it wasn't true. But if so, alas, that's what fanfiction is for. Anywho, as I said, I've only watched the anime. I'm trying to get to the manga, which I've heard is much more detailed and goes on longer (like most manga/anime situations). On the other hand, Kyoya is actually one of my favorite characters. It's hard to pick a favorite in Ouran, since every character is so different and offers something new (I'm also in love with the twins and Mori, and Honey is just adorable). This fanfiction kind of derived from the fact that Bisco Hatori admitted that if she'd had to shorten the first chapter of the manga by 10 pages, Kyoya's character probably would have been cut altogether and not exist. So, I decided to peek into what that feels like. To be the odd number. **

**I did fight with myself on how to spell Kyoya's name. I've read it's one of those things that can get stuck with that tricky "u" in so many Japanese names. I ultimately went with Kyoya Otori (instead of Kyouya Ootori) because the prior is how it's spelled in the English anime. So that's how I spelled it. If you catch a "Kyouya" somewhere, sorry for the inconsistency. Also, I'm sorry I didn't really include the other members of the club in the fanfiction. It's just that I realized writing with so many extreme characters in such a small oneshot would have absolutely exhausted me. **

**On top of all that, I feel like I'm always apologizing for the way my fanfictions end...and this is no exception. Gomen. x) **

**AnimeCountDown**


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